Love Comes In Many Different Forms
by MBlackFlamesM
Summary: Naruto's daughter goes missing, and who would find her but a certain raven? Frantic Naruto. Protective Gaara. Concerned Sasuke.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: First Meeting**

On the busy streets of Konoha a man was running around, a look of panic and worry etched on his face as he frantically looked around as if searching for someone or something. He wore a dark orange coat that was wide open revealing a black shirt he wore under it and blue jeans. He suddenly stopped to catch his breath but his blue eyes never stopped searching. Many people were wandering around; it was Sunday after all, which made it harder for him to find whatever he was looking for. Beads of sweet began to gather on his forehead but he just wiped it away with the back of his hand, running a few fingers through his golden-blonde hair. After he caught his breath he turned and began searching again.

* * *

Somewhere else another man with black hair and equally black eyes was walking, his face set in a mask of indifference. He wore a dark blue shirt, black leather jacket over it and dark blue jeans.

Suddenly a noise from somewhere caught his attention. He looked around but saw no one till he looked lower down. There in between two buildings was a young girl, no older than eight standing with her face buried in her hands. She had long straight dark brown almost black hair that reached down past her shoulders and skin pale but not as pale as his own. He realized that the noise he had heard came from the girl. It tore his heart apart to see a child crying so he did the only thing he could think of, he crouched down in front of her and began to speak.

"Hello. Are you lost?"

* * *

The blonde slumped down on a bench nearby a park. He was exhausted and still no sign of who he was looking for. But he couldn't give up, he could never give up. He continued to take deep breaths till a familiar voice made him snap his head up to look at them. The person who was standing before him was a woman with long pale pink hair and green eyes. She wore a white shirt, dark red jacket and blue jeans. A smile graced her pretty face as her green eyes shone with joy.

_Sakura-chan._ The blonde thought as a smile crept over his face.

The man forgot about his problems for a moment as he quickly got up and went over to pull his old friend into a hug. The woman named Sakura returned the hug for a moment before both pulled back.

"It's good to see you." She said with a big smile.

The smile then was quickly wiped away as an angry frown took its place. The blonde didn't have time to as what was wrong as sharp pain shot through the left side of his ribs. He bent over, clutching his middle tightly before he looked up into the now furious green eyes.

"Where the hell have you been?!" She yelled out, drawing some attention from a few children who were playing not so far away as well as parents. "You disappear for more than eight years without telling anyone where you went! Have you any clue how worried we were?!"

The blonde seemed to compose himself as he began to explain but was cut off before he could utter a single word.

"NO! _You_ listen to me _right now_! I don't want to hear any of your excuses! You should've contacted us! But no! You couldn't do that now, could you? Because of your 'family issues' you couldn't call, text or even send a damn letter to either of us!" She yelled. Then in a much quieter voice she said, "Have you any idea how worried I was?"

The blonde was quiet for a few minutes. He was in a way struck speechless. Slowly the feeling of guilt washed over him and the pain in his ribs felt nothing but dull ache compare to what he was feeling now. He looked away, not able to meet his friend's eyes, he was sure that they held nothing but hurt, anger and betrayal.

He was surprised when after a minute or so had passed two arms wrapped around his body, pulling him close to them. All too soon the warmth left and he dared to look up. The pink-haired woman was looking at him with relief and happiness along with unshed tears showing in her green eyes. He felt himself feel even guiltier for the decisions he had made in the past.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. And he really was sorry. Sorry for not calling. Sorry for not leaving a proper note. Sorry for hiding away from them when he knows he can rely on his friends. Sorry for running away from his problems. Sorry for everything.

The old friends sat down on the bench and began talking. Most of it was of her filling him in on what had happened these past years. Apparently his friend was working at Konoha Hospital as a nurse and was engaged to a man who was a lawyer.

Kiba, one of his other friends was a vet like his sister and married to none other than Hyuga Hinata with two kids.

Iruka, who was his former teacher at Konoha High School, hooked up with another teacher a few years ago named Kakashi who he remembered to be his former History teacher.

Half an hour later of filling him in on the stuff that had happened she finally turned to him and asked what he had done. Her question made him realize who he had been looking for. A look of worry crossed over his face but before he could get up and search for that person, a hand grabbed his arm, keeping him firmly in place.

He looked back at Sakura. "What's wrong?" She asked looking a bit worried.

He didn't know what he should say. Should he tell her the truth? Or should he keep hiding away? No. He decided that he should not.

"Naruto?"

Said blonde looked back up. He took a deep breathe before he began explaining what had happened.

* * *

The raven was met with a pair of cerulean-blue eyes. Tears were swimming in the depths and spilling over, staining her already flushed cheeks.

"Are you lost?" He repeated again and flashed her a gentle smile. This time the girl sniffed and nodded.

The raven studied the little girl more closely now. She looked very fragile; she was as he had observed before to be quite pale and kind of skinny, like she wasn't being fed properly. Her dark hair framed her face nicely and although she was skinny her face was quite round. She wore a brown jacket that was slightly open revealing a white top that she wore underneath and blue bottoms. She also wore a necklace with a turquoise stone attached to the black string.

"Would you like me to help you find your parents?" He asked softly. There was a short silence before the girl sniffed and nodded once more. She then seemed to remember that she had been crying because she began to wipe the tears from her cheeks and eyes. The raven couldn't help but chuckle. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, he then gave it to the girl who accepted it with a grateful nod.

Once she got rid of all the tears the raven stretched out a hand for the girl to take; she hesitated for a moment but eventually took the hand. He gave her small hand a reassuring squeeze before getting up as they made their way through the crowd.

* * *

"You have a daughter?!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the disbelieving look that crossed over Sakura's face. It was too funny.

"Yes. I have. Ai is her name. Uzumaki Ai." He said after he had gotten his laughter in control.

The pink-haired woman seemed to calm down as well. "Wow. Who would've thought?" She said. A look of confusion then past her features. "But if you have a daughter, then where is she?"

Those words were enough to send the blonde to his feet again as he looked around.

"Don't tell me." His friend said and got up as well. "You lost her." It was a statement not a question. The blonde nodded anyway and she sighed. "Unbelievable."

Naruto didn't seem to hear her as he continued to look around; when he saw no one that looked even slightly similar to his little girl he turned back to his friend.

"I'm sorry Sakura. But I really need to find Ai." He said. He didn't wait for a reply as he bolted.

* * *

"What's your name, pretty?" The raven asked the little girl. They had wandered around looking for her parents for a good ten minutes but there was no sign of them anywhere. The little girl's face didn't light up once in recognition of any of the passing adults. She also hadn't spoken a word which made him feel slightly uneasy; he thought that if she talked he could get some information out of her so that the searching would be simpler.

"Ai." The little girl said softly. "Uzumaki Ai."

_Uzumaki Ai. Okay that's a start._ He thought and glanced at said girl.

"Where did you last see your parents?" He asked next.

"Daddy left me with Uncle Gaara to go do something." She said softly. "I got worried and decided to follow but I couldn't find him. And when I went back to where I think I last saw Uncle Gaara, he wasn't there."

The raven looked down at Ai whose bottom lip trembled and eyes shone with tears. He led her to the side by a store before he crouched down in front of her. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder as he looked into her blue eyes.

"You did nothing wrong, pretty. These kind of things happen all the time." He said softly. Ai didn't look convinced so he spoke again. He didn't know what it was but he wanted her to feel like it wasn't her fault, he didn't want her to feel bad.

"I'll let you in on a little secret." He said and leaned in closer. "I used to get lost a lot in my younger days." This seemed to make the girl light up, if only a little bit.

"Really?" She asked softly.

"Really." He removed the hand from her shoulder and stood up. "Shall we go?" He asked and stretched out a hand for her to take. The dark-haired girl took the hand, this time without hesitation.

They walked for another ten minutes till finally her face lit up in recognition. She immediately let go of the raven's hand and ran up and into the arms of a man with spiky red hair. The man let go of her as the raven approached the pair. The red-head looked around the same age as himself; he had pale jade eyes with black eyeliner surrounding them and fair skin. He wore sand colored cargo pants, a dark red tank top and an open white shirt on top.

The man didn't look similar to Ai so he assumed that this was the 'Uncle Gaara' she had told him about. Ai then ran up to him and grabbed his hand; a bright smile was playing on her lips which made his heart feel warm.

"Mister here helped me look for daddy or Uncle Gaara." She said and turned to the red-head.

The red-head looked at the raven up and down, as if studying him. The raven felt slightly uncomfortable but he soon stopped and flashed him a small smile.

"Thank you for helping Ai." He said truly looking grateful. He then stretched out a hand for a handshake. "The name is Sabaku Gaara."

"Uchiha Sasuke." The raven said and shook his hand briefly.

Sasuke saw something alike recognition flash across Gaara's eyes but it was gone as soon as it had arrived.

"Could you look after Ai for a moment longer? I need to make a call."

"Sure."

The red-head walked a few feet away before he pulled out his cell phone and began dialing what Sasuke thought to be the father of the child. He tore his eyes away from the red-head when he felt a tugging on his clothes. He looked down and saw the little dark-haired girl looking up at him with pleading eyes.

He crouched down before her before he asked, "What's the matter, pretty?"

"I need to use the toilet." She said softly.

He smiled. "Okay. Wait here for a moment and I'll go tell Gaara." He got up and walked over to the red-head who was still talking on the phone.

"…found her." He heard him say as he approached him. He cleared his throat and Gaara turned to him for a moment. "Hold on a sec." He said into the phone before turning to him.

"Ai and I are going to the restroom."

"Okay, make sure to keep an eye on her. She can be quite slippery."

"Alright." He said in a flat tone before he turned away and walked to where Ai was waiting.

A few minutes later they returned from the restroom. Sasuke couldn't see what Gaara had told him about Ai being slippery; she was such a smart and good girl.

When they began to approach the spot where Gaara was waiting for them two others were standing with him. One he recognized to be one of his friends but the blonde he did not recognize at all.

"Daddy!"

The blonde turned around and Sasuke felt himself looking into the same cerulean-blue eyes Ai possessed. Said dark-haired girl let go of his hand a second time to run up and then throw her arms around another man. This embrace lasted much longer though as the blonde picked her up and balanced her on his hip. He was smiling brightly at the little girl in his arms. The smile made his stomach do a strange flip but he didn't have time to analyze what that meant as those cerulean-blue eyes turned to him.

The blonde put down Ai and then walked over to him. A smile playing on his lips.

"I heard from Gaara that you found Ai. Thank you for that."

"It was nothing."

"Oh! Sasuke-kun!" The pink-haired woman exclaimed and then walked up to the blonde and raven. "I didn't know you were back from Kiri."

He nodded. "I came back two days ago. Sorry for not calling."

"Don't worry about it." She said waving her hand as if dismissing the apology.

"Um… Sakura-chan?"

The pink-haired woman turned around to face the blonde. He had a somewhat nervous expression on him. Sakura looked back at Sasuke's neutral expression. She turned back to the blonde then.

"Sorry. Naruto, this is Uchiha Sasuke." She said gesturing to the raven behind her. She then turned to said raven. "And this Sasuke is Uzumaki Naruto."

The two men nodded in greeting, too far away to shake hands with each other.

"Daddy." Both the raven and blonde snapped their heads to look at Ai. "I'm hungry."

The blonde smiled and patted his daughter on the head. "Okay, what do you want?" He asked simply. Sasuke noticed that there was a glint in his blue eyes that clearly said that he knew what her answer would be.

"Ramen!" The little girl exclaimed.

"Alright then, ramen it is." He said and watched his daughter walk towards Gaara who stood a few feet away. He then turned back to Sasuke. "You're more than welcome to join us, if you want."

Sasuke wanted to say yes, but it felt like he would then be interfering on their 'family time' together so he decided to politely decline.

"That's very kind of you, but I have to go."

He thought he saw the blonde's smile slightly falter but decided to ignore it.

"That's alright, maybe next time?" The blonde said.

The raven said nothing and just nodded. He was just about to turn and go when the blonde pulled out his cell phone and walked towards him.

"If you don't mind, I would like to have your number."

Sasuke was struck speechless for a few moments till he seemed to find his voice.

"Okay." He said simply and pulled out his cell phone as well.

The pink-haired woman watched the two men exchanging phone numbers, a smirk playing firmly on her light pink lips.

* * *

After the men had exchanged numbers the raven left, the blonde watching him leave in silence. He finally tore his eyes away only to stare into a pair of green eyes that were shining with mischief.

"W-what?" He asked after a moments of silence.

"Oh, nothing." Sakura said. The look in her eyes not faltering for a second. "I just noticed how you were checking Sasuke-kun out."

A pale blush spread over the blonde's cheeks.

"I- I was not." He said.

"Oh yes you were!" She exclaimed. Naruto was just about to open his mouth to protest but a hand lifted into the air silenced him. "Don't try to lie to me. We may not have seen each other for a while." At this she glared at him for a moment. "But I can still read you like a book. You're interested, aren't you?"

The blonde sighed. No use arguing with the woman, he thought.

"Yes. I'm interested." He answered simply.

Sakura seemed more than satisfied with his answer as she grinning widely, the blonde ignored her.

"But there's no way a guy like that would be interested in someone like me." He suddenly began saying. "I mean, the guy is fucking gorgeous."

Sakura nodded, agreeing with him on the gorgeous part.

"Are you guys coming?!"

The blonde and pinkette turned around where Ai was standing, her face scrunched up in annoyance for being made to wait.

"I'm hungry, you know!" She exclaimed.

Naruto laughed. "Sorry, honey." He turned to Sakura. "Are you coming?"

The pink-haired woman nodded and soon the group left, on their way to lunch.

* * *

**I hope you liked the first chapter. Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Wrath of the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero**

_In a clearing, surrounded by numerous trees Naruto sat cross-legged on the grass. The sun was shining brightly upon a blue sky, a few rays of golden light shone through the trees branches and upon the smiling face of the blonde. He looked content as he smelled the nature air, his face bathing in sunlight._

_He was not alone in the clearing. A woman who looked to be in her early twenties sat beside him. Her long straight dark brown almost black hair that framed her face blew occasionally in the soft breeze, her eyes closed and her face relaxed with a small smile gracing her beautiful features._

_The woman and man just sat there, feeling at peace, happy in the clearing._

_The blonde suddenly turned to the dark-haired woman. He slowly moved towards her, placing a sun-kissed hand over her pale one._

_The woman looked up at him, her onyx eyes shining with happiness. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on top of the blonde's forehead. He smiled at the woman, a bright one. She then placed her head on his shoulder, looking forward, into the distance._

_Naruto and the woman stayed like that for a long time till he could feel a sudden disturbance._

_He looked up, slightly alarmed. There was a voice calling out. The soft breeze became a gust of wind as leaves flew in front of his face, blocking his view. He closed his eyes as the leaves touched his face, a rushing sound going past his ears._

_When he opened his eyes the dark-haired woman was nowhere to be found. He stood up quickly; scanning the clearing, there was no sign of her. Panic settled down into his stomach as he began to run._

_He passed tree after tree, careful not to stumble on a twig or rock._

_He suddenly came to a stop, his cerulean-blue eyes scanning the trees. He looked in front, right, left, behind him but still there was no sign of her. No sign of the long brow hair or of the pair of onyx eyes._

_He was desperate now. Desperate to find her no matter what it takes._

_He ran._

_He looked for her for minutes, maybe even hours. He did not know how long and honestly did not care. The sun still shone brightly on the blue sky. No clouds were in sight as he continued to run; only stopping when he needed to._

_It was when he came to another stop, breathing heavily that he heard that voice again. The voice was clearer this time and somewhat familiar. A gust of wind blew through the trees, making the branches and leaves rustle. He took a step forward, then another and another._

_The voice seemed even clearer now._

_He took a few more steps forward but then suddenly stopped, he turned around where the dark-haired woman stood by a tree. A sad smile graced her beautiful features as he looked at the blonde with happy yet sad onyx eyes._

_"I love you Naruto. I always will. Remember that." She said. Her voice soft and filled with love._

_He shook his head as tears began to form in his eyes. He was about to run and reach out when a loud yell made him freeze._

_"DADDY!"_

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up.

He frantically looked around only to notice that he was at home, or rather Gaara's home.

He let out a sigh of relief. It had been just a dream, he thought. He suddenly felt an unexpected weight on his lap. He frowned in confusion before he looked down only to see his daughter sitting on said lap, looking at him with the same cerulean-blue eyes he possessed.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." She said without breaking eye-contact.

He let out a soft chuckle before reaching out and patting her on the head.

"Alright, I'll be up in a bit." He said.

The eight year old took that as her cue to leave. Once his daughter had left he dared to take a look at the time. The little machine read that it was seven in the morning. He groaned softly in annoyance, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep. Knowing though that that task would be impossible he threw the orange covers off his body, swung his legs to the side and got up.

He walked to his wardrobe and opened it, selecting a blue jumper and a pair of black jeans. He then leaned down to the drawers where he next selected a pair of boxers and socks. He took the pieces of clothing with him out, down the hallway and through a white door that was the bathroom.

Ten minutes later he emerged. Freshened up and clothed he made his way through the hallway and down the stairs, turning left walking a few steps and then turning right he came into the kitchen.

The kitchen was average-looking. Counters were pressed upon one side of the wall together with a stove, sink and dish machine. A microwave rested on one of the counters as well as a coffee machine and water boiler on another.

A black rectangular wooden table stood in the middle of the kitchen with six matching chairs surrounding it. On one of the chairs sat Ai, drawing something on a piece of paper. Gaara sat opposite of her, reading the newspaper, a cup of steaming hot coffee resting on the table.

When Naruto stepped in both occupants looked up and smiled.

"Good morning." Gaara greeted.

"Good morning." Naruto greeted back, a big smile on his face.

"Did you sleep well?" The red-head asked before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Fine." He walked over to one of the counters to reach for the things he would need in the cupboards above him. "I had a dream."

At this the red-head perked up with interest. "A dream? What kind of dream?"

The blonde was just about to answer but stopped himself just in time. _Ai is still in the room._

He looked over to his daughter who was still drawing, paying no attention to the two adults. Just in case Naruto inclined for the two to go and talk somewhere else. Gaara understood and folded the paper before he got up and followed the blonde into the living room.

The living room was average-looking as well. A brown couch was standing in the middle of the room on a creamy white rectangular rug, two matching armchairs stood on either side of the couch. A glass coffee table stood in front of the couch, and only a meter or two away was a plasma TV.

The two adults walked forward and sat down on the couch. As soon as both had comfortably settled themselves, Naruto began to speak.

"The dream I was having was…unusual." He began and glanced over at Gaara who gave him a nod to continue. "I was in a clearing, inside a forest, where I know I have never been at before. It was truly beautiful, the forest, calm and peaceful." He sighed in content as he thought of the clearing, the trees and the flowers. "Of course I was not alone." Here his eyes darkened. "Aya was there too."

There was a sudden silence till Gaara finally broke it, his voice soft.

"What happened?"

Naruto thought about it before answering. "It was truly beautiful. She was beautiful." He paused. "We were having such a good time. We were just sitting there enjoying the peace and quiet." He smiled at this but it was quickly gone as soon as it had arrived, a darkened look taking its place. "All of a sudden though, there was a gust of wind with a few dancing leaves. I was blinded by the leaves for just a moment. When I opened my eyes, Aya was gone."

Gaara brought a hand to the blonde's shoulder, a sign of comfort before said blonde continued.

"I ran and searched for her for what felt like hours. I couldn't find her. Then, before I woke up she was there, right in front of me. She said…" He trailed off and swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat. "She said she loved me and that she always would."

The red-head put his arm over the blonde's shoulders, pulling him close in a one-armed hug.

They stayed like that for a few minutes. Gaara hugging Naruto and said blonde lost in his own thoughts. A loud, whiny yell made both adults snap their heads up in the direction of the kitchen.

"Daddy! Hungry!"

The blonde and red-head shared a look a grinned. Both then got up and went to the kitchen where a very annoyed-looking Ai was waiting.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Gaara asked.

"Positive." Naruto said a determined look in his eyes.

"There will be no going back once you're in." The red-head continued. The determined look in the blonde's eyes didn't falter. The red-head sighed. "Alright then."

The two adults and Ai had taken the car to a rather peaceful neighborhood that lied west of Konoha. Here lived a married couple that meant a lot to the blonde, his parents.

A decade ago Naruto and his parents had came to a disagreement that left him with no other options but to run away. He had always regretted his decision, but he hadn't had the courage to return and so stayed in Suna, the place he had run off to.

Now it had been a decade though and he had finally gotten enough courage along with the constant pestering from Gaara and Ai.

They were now standing in front of the correct house. Naruto felt his heart beating faster, his hands felt clammy and breathing shallow. He swallowed nervously as the anxiety kept building up with each step he took.

Now the only thing he needed to do was knock or ring the doorbell. He looked back at Gaara who was standing by the fence. He flashed him a smile and encouraging nod, making the blonde feel a bit better. He then turned to look down where his daughter was looking at him, like Gaara she also flashed him a smile and nod, followed by a few jumps of excitement.

He chuckled under his breathe before he brought his gaze back to the door. He took a deep breathe to calm himself before he reached over and rang the doorbell.

A loud ringing sound went off in the building as the blonde and dark-haired girl waited for the door to open.

A few minutes passed before there was a clinking noise, shortly followed by the door opening slowly. Naruto held his breath, bracing himself when he saw who was standing in the doorway.

A very handsome man with the same spiky golden-blonde hair and cerulean-blue eyes that Naruto possessed stood in the doorway. He wore a dark blue jumper and black sweatpants. The expression on he wore was one of pure shock, then relief and finally love.

Naruto was just about to open his mouth to say something when he was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by his father. Only a moment pasted before he wrapped his arms around the older blonde.

The two stood there for a long time, father and son just happy to see one another.

They finally pulled away but the two hands of his father remained on his shoulders. Naruto noticed then tears in the other's eyes.

"Naruto, my son…" The older blonde was saying.

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Yes dad, it's your son."

A big smile broke on the man's face. He pulled the younger blonde into another hug, this one lasting only for a few seconds. The older blonde wiped his tears away before he began to talk, or rather ask.

"What have you been up to all these years?"

Naruto smiled playfully. "Oh, a little this and that." He suddenly looked down, guilt washing over him like a powerful wave. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you or mum."

"Hey, it's okay." The older blonde laid a hand on his shoulder. "We're partly to blame for you leaving us. I don't blame you. I think I would've acted the same way and done the same thing."

Naruto smiled sadly but his eyes were shinning with happiness. "No you wouldn't." He said. "You would've left yes, but only for a couple of days and then eventually returned to work things out. I- I didn't. I left and didn't come back."

"Didn't come back?" The older blonde said a gentle smile gracing his handsome features. "Then who is this handsome man in front of me clamming to be my son?"

Said son looked up and met the blue eyes of his father. They shone with happiness and pride for his only son. Naruto couldn't help but let out a content sigh and then smile, his own eyes shinning with happiness of having such a wonderful dad.

"Daddy." A soft voice from below father and son was heard, followed by the tugging of his clothes to get his attention even more.

The younger blonde chuckled and looked down at his daughter, the older following his gaze.

"Yes, sweetheart? What is it?" He asked and laid a hand on top of the eight year olds' head.

No answer came though as his father crouched down and asked, "And who might you be?"

"Ai." The dark-haired girl said.

"What a pretty name." He said and smiled. "It's nice to meet you Ai. I'm Minato." He continued and stretched out his hand for a handshake.

Ai didn't make a move to shake his hand though; instead she went over and flung her arms around her grandpa.

Minato was taken by surprise to say the least but eventually returned the hug. When they pulled apart he stood up, facing his son once again. "What a surprise. You don't only just come back but you also bring a kid with you."

"I also brought a friend." He said gesturing to Gaara who was now standing behind Naruto.

The red-head nodded his head in greeting. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Namikaze-san. I'm Sabaku Gaara."

"Please, call me Minato. And the pleasure is all mine."

There was small, comfortable silence.

"Is mum here?" Naruto asked.

Minato nodded. "In the kitchen."

The younger blonde made a grimace. "Maybe this is not the best idea to turn up then."

The older blonde couldn't help but laugh. "I would say that it's a little too late for that, wouldn't you?"

Naruto hated it but he was right. It was too late for it. He was here now, might as well get it over with.

He sighed in defeat and nodded, telling him that he was right.

Minato smiled and then turned around, walking back into the house so that the three could enter. Once inside Gaara closed the door and along with the Uzumakis' began to remove his shoes. Naruto removed his coat and hung it up before he slowly walked through the nearly empty hallway.

He suddenly stopped as once again his breath was caught in his throat when he turned left. There, inside the kitchen by the sink stood a woman. She had fiery-red hair that reached down to her waist and fair skin. You could see she was very slender built even from behind. She wore what looked to be a white blouse and long, loose-fitting green dress. She was humming on a sweet, cheerful melody while she cleaned the dishes.

Naruto felt the anxiety bubble within him along with the guilt for leaving. But he didn't look away, turn around or walk away. He was here now; it was time to stop running.

He clenched his fist as a determined look shone in his eyes he stepped into the kitchen. He did not know what to say or do from there though; he didn't need to worry though as his father came into the kitchen. They shared a look and gave him an encouraging smile before he walked over to his wife.

"Someone's here to see you, dear."

"Oh?" The fiery-red-haired woman said looking at her husband, still not noticing the other blonde. "Who might that be?"

The older blonde looked in front, the woman followed his gaze.

As soon as the pair of violet eyes landed on him, time seemed to have stopped, but only for just a moment.

"N-Naruto?" The fiery-red-haired woman asked. Her voice so soft, while her eyes were filled with shock.

Said Naruto smiled nervously and nodded. "Yes mum."

There was a heavy silence in the room before all hell broke lose.

"Naruto." The fiery-red-haired woman growled. The shock that overtook the woman's face had all but melted away; she was now filled with rage. Her violet eyes were ablaze as she clenched her fists as tightly as she could at her sides.

The anxiety Naruto had felt had quickly turned to fear in a matter of seconds. He swallowed down nervously as he tried to maintain his ground.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!" She roared. Naruto felt like the whole house had trembled under her outburst. "YOU DISAPPEAR FOR YEARS NOT CONTACTING ANYONE AND THEN SUDDENLY SHOW UP! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"Mum-"

"WHAT WENT THROUGH THAT THICK HEAD OF YOURS WHEN YOU LEFT US?! YOUR HOME, YOUR FAMILY!"

"Mum I-"

"DID YOU LEAVE WITHOUT LOOKING BACK? WERE YOU HAPPY TO LEAVE? WERE WE SO MUCH OF A PAIN THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT US ANYMORE?"

"No!" Naruto yelled.

"Then what?!" She yelled back. "What did we do to make you leave?!"

Naruto sucked in a deep breath and took a step forward. "You were interfering with my life!"

"What's wrong with doing that?! I'm your mother for goodness sake; it's my job to interfere."

"May be so, but it gives you no right to decide who I can and cannot date. And who I can be or can't be friends. Also what I can and cannot do!" He yelled.

The fiery-red-haired woman was just about to yell something back but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around to look into her husband's eyes, she calmed down but the expression on her face didn't change. She turned back to her son who was still standing in the middle of the kitchen, fists clenched and face serious.

"You had no right to tell me who to date whenever it is younger or older, women or men. You had no right in telling me I couldn't be friends with someone I had met on the internet. And you also couldn't tell me not to have sex till I'm married.

I'm not like you mum, and I'm neither like dad. I'm my own person. And it's my life. If I screw up, then it's me that has to solve the problem. If I mistakenly get some girl pregnant, then I will do everything I can to care for the baby.

I may have only been eighteen, but I knew what I was doing. I was well aware of what I was doing. And for your information on the dating thing, I never had sex with any of the guys or girls that I went out with. But that doesn't really matter now, does it? I'm here now. A twenty-six year old man who has made both some bad and good choices, like we all have.

I'm not going to apologize for leaving, but I am going to apologize for not telling you sooner. If I had told you this sooner, then maybe I would've never left."

Another silence came.

Both parents of the child were stunned, especially the mother.

Several emotions flashed across her face till it settled on guilt. She looked away from her son's intense eyes.

"I'm not going to say you were wrong about a few things, you were right. But I didn't need a constant reminder of what I was doing when I knew full well what I was in fact doing."

Naruto walked forward till he stood in front of his mother, only then did she look back at him.

"I love you mum. But I would like it if you trusted me a bit more. Can you do that?"

The fiery-red-haired woman could only nod. The blonde smiled.

"Thank you." He then wrapped his arms around his mother's slender form. Shortly he could feel her hands on his back.

They pulled away and she placed both of her hands on each of his cheek. "My son has become a man." She said her voice soft.

"Daddy."

Three heads snapped to the hallway, where Ai stood with Gaara. The eight-year old walked up to the three adults, her cerulean-blue eyes landing on the only woman in the room.

Said woman turned to her son, her violet eyes filled with questions.

"Is she…?" She didn't need to finish the as the blonde nodded. She turned back to Ai who had moved closer now.

"Hello, I'm Ai." She introduced herself.

The fiery-red-haired woman was silent for a moment, and then she said, "Hello Ai. I'm Kushina." Like Minato she stretched out her hand to the girl for a handshake. Again Ai ignored the hand and went straight to hug her grandma. Much like Minato she was stunned for a moment and then hugged back the little girl.

She let go a moment later to take a closer look at Ai who was looking at her dad. She then turned to her son. A smile gracing her features.

When another moments of silence had passed Ai started to become bored and ask her grandma and grandpa for something to do. They both laughed softly and then left the room with their granddaughter; Kushina flashed her son a final smile before they disappeared into the living room.

As Naruto watched them go he thought to himself that things seemed to be getting better.

* * *

**I hope you liked the second chapter. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: It is not a date.**

Hours later Naruto was sitting in an armchair inside of his parents' living room. His parents were sitting on the couch, looking over at their granddaughter who was sleeping on Gaara's lap.

Kushina suddenly turned to her son. "So, are you and Gaara…?"

"No." Both of them said in unison.

"Ah, I see." She was quiet for a moment. "So, where is Ai's mother?"

Both the blonde and red-head's eyes darkened.

"She…" Naruto began.

"…is dead." Gaara finished.

"Oh." Kushina was again silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully for the next question. "How was she like?"

Naruto got up and went over to the window, it was past dusk. The sky was a dark blue color filled with tiny sparkling silver-white stars. The busy streets of Konoha had calmed but you could still make out the sounds of cars and people's muffled voices.

He cast his eyes down onto the windowsill, where a white vase stood with a bouquet of flowers. The sweet smells of the flowers flew into his nostrils calming his nerves a bit. He took a breath to calm his beating heart before he began to answer his mother.

"Sayo Aya was unlike any woman I have ever met. She was smart and kind but also playful." He paused, bringing his hand to the window. The coldness of the glass on his palm was soothing. "Ai resembles her a lot in many different ways. She not only has her hair and built but also is a very playful and smart girl." He let his eyes wander around the garden. His mother seemed to be growing something, what it was he could not tell.

"What happened to her?"

The question had been asked in such a soft voice, almost like a whisper. The question caught Naruto off guard; it was odd since he knew that it would come up. He removed his hand from the glass, closed his eyes and took in a deep, calming breath before answering.

"Before I answer that, you should know that I loved her very much. We met at one of Gaara's birthday parties. We talked for a while, became fast friends and just a few weeks later we fell in love. Months later we moved in together, she was everything I ever wanted and after a year of dating I proposed." He could clearly make out his parents' happy expressions for finding someone he loves, or rather loved.

"A few months later Aya became pregnant. I was happy and she was happy that we would have a daughter or son together." His expression darkened a lot as he spoke the next words softly. "Around nine months into the pregnancy, Aya ended up in an accident." He thought he heard his mother gasp but decided to ignore it. "It was a car crash. Aya died but they saved the baby. I was devastated. How could someone you love be gone just like that? Just the other day we were having fun arguing whenever it was a boy or a girl. Neither of us wanted to find out so we argued about it, playfully of course.

It looked like Aya won the argument. It was a beautiful, healthy baby girl that had been born. I promised myself there and then in the hospital that I would do my best in taking care of her. I named her Ai. So that she knows that she's always loved."

The blonde turned around to look over at the still sleeping dark-haired eight-year old. A gentle smile taking over his once grim expression.

Silence filled the air. Thick and heavy. Shortly Naruto left with Gaara who was carrying Ai.

Only once they were walking down the streets, away from his parents' house did the red-head speak.

"That went really well. Your mother didn't try to kill you like you thought she would."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I was surprised myself, but I guess she wasn't really that angry, more like worried."

The red-head nodded.

The rest of the way home was spent in silence. Ai never stirred once as Gaara continued to carry her till she was back in her bed. The two adults then got ready to go to bed as well.

The blonde was lying on his bed wearing nothing but grey pajama bottoms, his orange colored covers drawn up to his waist as he gazed up to the ceiling, his hands behind his head.

Many thoughts swirled around his head as well as many emotions.

The main thoughts were of the day, seeing his parents' again after so long, them meeting Ai, the talk about Aya.

The main emotions were of relief and happiness but there was also sadness, a bit of anger and emptiness. Relief and happiness because he had been forgiven for the most part. Sad for talking about someone that had meant so much to him. Angry at himself for leaving without saying where he was going and for not contacting either parent. Empty, because there was a big chunk in his heart that was missing.

He knew very well what that feeling was but he had not done anything to get that feeling back. After Ai was born and the loss of Aya, dating didn't seem like a good idea. Not at the time, maybe now but not then.

He closed his eyes, closing his thoughts in the process. He breathed in deeply before turning around to lie on his side, bringing his hand in front. He looked over at the digital clock that read ten-thirty before he closed his eyes. Going to sleep seemed like a good idea.

Days passed by slowly for Naruto, Gaara and Ai. They went to visit Kushina and Minato a few more times before Ai was to begin at Konoha's elementary school.

When Ai eventually left for school Gaara and Naruto left for work.

But when the blonde came home from work, Ai and Gaara were still absent. He wasn't necessarily lonely or bored though, he could always clean the house, go out for a walk or watch some TV. But when the days became weeks he needed something more to do, be with someone. He contacted Sakura but she seemed to be busy with her fiancé and work. He then contacted his parents' who also seemed busy.

He slumped down onto the couch, his cell phone lying on the coffee table, that'd been untouched for five whole minutes before he again picked it up. He went through his contacts till he came to a number he didn't recognize.

It then hit him a moment later that this was Uchiha Sasuke's number.

Sasuke…

The man hadn't crossed the blonde's mind for the past few days. His mind had been too preoccupied with the strange dream he kept having about Aya, his parents and Ai. There had been no room for him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the first time he saw him, met him.

He was a truly handsome man. Tall and lean built with fair skin, black hair and onyx eyes. The way he looked at him had been of something akin to boredom but also curiosity. The black leather jacket he wore made him look somewhat of a badass and the dark blue jeans seemed to be hugging him at all the right places.

His mouth had felt a bit dry when those onyx eyes had locked with his blue. His heart had begun to beat faster and he felt like he couldn't think for a second.

The man was really handsome, his voice deep with a gentle tint to it. And even from a distance he could smell his shampoo.

He opened his eyes once again and looked down at the screen. He pressed on the unfamiliar number before he brought his phone to his ear. Waiting for the other to pick up.

"_Hello?"_

All of a sudden Naruto felt nervous. What was he going to say? Quickly he made something up. "Hey, it's Uzumaki Naruto. I'm not sure if you remember me…"

There was a pause before an answer followed.

"_I remember."_ He heard the man reply. Some of the blonde's anxiousness faded away. _"What made you call?"_

The blonde hesitated for a moment before he smirked in a playful sort of way and said, "I thought of you and decided to call."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was sitting inside of his friends', Hozuki Suigetsu and Tenbin Jugo's kitchen.

Said friends were currently in the living room watching TV, while Sasuke was writing on his computer, a half eaten sandwich sitting beside him on a plate and a cup of tea.

He was currently working on his third book. About a girl who lost both of her parents' in a car crash and is being raised by her older sister. It's a story that somehow connects to his own story. Like Hikari (the main character in his story) he too lost his parents' and was raised by his older sibling.

All of his books are connected to him one way or another. His first book is about a teenage girl who's gay and falls in love with her best friend who has a boyfriend. His second is about a family of four that wakes up one day with magical abilities as well as a change in appearance. (A dream he had had once.)

He doesn't use his own name when publicizing these books; instead he uses a pen-name, Karei Makoto, a woman.

Suddenly in the middle of writing a sentence his cell phone began to buzz, someone was calling him. He picked up his phone and quickly answered it without looking at the screen.

"Hello?" He said into the small machine that was pressed up against his right ear.

There was a short sort of silence before anyone answered.

"_Hey, it's Uzumaki Naruto. I'm not sure if you remember me…"_

Sasuke froze. Uzumaki Naruto? Wasn't that the blonde from a few weeks ago, Ai's father?

He had forgotten that he and the blonde had exchanged phone numbers. He had been too busy with his book as well as his brother and friends.

"I remember." He said. Because of course he remembered. Then a thought crossed over his mind as he suddenly asked, "What made you call?"

There was a pause. Sasuke thought the blonde had hung up when eight unexpected words were said. _"I thought of you and decided to call."_

It was said rather bluntly but Sasuke could sense something behind it. He didn't think of it too much though as he decided to give a short response.

"I see."

Another silence followed but was soon broken by the blonde's voice.

"_Are you busy at the moment?"_

The raven glanced down at his computer and then back towards the living room where he could hear the noise of the TV as well as his friends' laughter.

"Not really."

"_Mind having lunch with me?"_

For some odd reason that made his heart race.

"Not at all."

"_Shall we meet at the square? In, let's say, forty minutes?"_

"Sure."

"_Great! See you there Sasuke."_ The blonde then hung up and so did Sasuke.

* * *

He hung up and put his phone back down on the coffee table. He was going to have lunch with Sasuke. He felt himself begin to panic.

He stood up and made his way out off the living room, up the stairs, through the hallway and into his room. What should he wear? Should he shower? Where would they eat?

He began pacing the room back and forth without noticing it. When he did notice he stopped and went back to sit on his bed. He ran his fingers through his hair and took in long, deep breaths to calm down.

When he was calm he had wondered why he was bothering with all of this.

There was no hurry; he had forty minutes before they would meet up. He glanced at the clock. Okay, thirty-six minutes but still that was a lot of time.

And why did he care of how he dressed? He had never cared about that before, not since... Aya.

He quickly pushed away the negative feelings. Getting depressed now would be a bad idea.

He stood up and began to do what he was supposed to, with five words being repeated in his head over and over again.

_It is not a date._

* * *

**I hope you liked the third chapter. Please review.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Friendship Lasts Forever**

The upcoming weeks were spent mostly with Gaara, Ai and Sasuke. The blonde and raven seemed to have a lot in common and quickly became friends. Naruto would even go so far to call him his best friend.

The first few times they only went out to eat and talk, it now had evolved into going to the movies, visit each other and sometimes even sleep over.

It was now Friday and the blonde was getting ready to going out with a group of friends. Some he hadn't seen yet since he got back and was hyped to see them.

Gaara had promised to watch Ai after school while he's out, which Naruto was always grateful for.

He zipped up his orange and black jacket, took a last look in the mirror before he made his way downstairs. He checked again for his phone, keys and wallet before he opened the front door and left.

* * *

"Naruto!"

Said blonde turned around just in time as two strong arms swung around him, pulling him into a big hug. He didn't need anyone to tell him who it was; it was obvious by the dog smell as well as the messy brown hair.

"Hey Kiba."

Said brunette pulled away, a grin gracing his handsome face.

"Where have you been, man?!" He exclaimed. "We've missed you!" He turned and gestured to the group that was standing behind him. The blonde turned to look; his breath was caught in his throat.

There standing only a few feet away were the group of friends' he had come to know for a very long time.

Starting from the left side was a fair-skinned woman with long platinum blonde hair that was tied up into a ponytail and pale blue eyes. She wore a purple sleeveless shirt, black skirt that ended past her knees, black heels and round silver stud earrings.

Next to her to the right was a man with short black hair, black eyes and very pale skin. He wore a dark grey shirt and jeans.

Next to him stood another man with black hair tied into a spiky ponytail and narrow brown eyes. He wore a plain grey t-shirt, black jeans and a black jacket over the shirt.

Next to him was a fair-skinned woman with long, dark blue hair and pale lavender eyes. She wore a casual lavender dress with a white silk ribbon tied around her waist, white flat shoes, diamond teardrop earrings and if he looked close enough he could see a silver band on her left ring finger.

Beside her was a fair-skinned man with long, dark brown hair with the same pale lavender eyes. He wore a white blouse, black blazer over it and black pants.

All wore similar expressions of relief, though a few looked rather annoyed or angry at him.

The blonde smiled nervously at them. "Hi guys." He began softly. When he got no response from any of them he decided for a different approach. He clasped his hands together, with his gaze held down and uttered out two single words. "I'm sorry."

He didn't bother to look up at the group to see their faces as he continued. "I'm sorry for running away without telling any of you of where I was going, and not for contacting. I didn't think at the time and am ashamed of the decision I made.

But you have to understand. I was too selfish and immature to stand up and face my parents'. I was afraid of what might happen and saw only one way out, to escape, to leave.

I was thinking of only staying away for a couple of weeks. But before I knew it the weeks turned into months, and months into years. I didn't think I had any reason to return anymore, but I knew that deep in my heart I was wrong. I had reasons to return. It just took so long before I finally did."

He lifted his gaze up to look at them. "I'm sorry it took this long, but I'm back now and I'm not going anywhere." He let a small smile creep on his lips.

There was a short silence before he got a reaction from anyone. The first to react was the blonde woman. She walked up to him, a grin plastered on her face.

"Well, I'm not surprised it took you this long." She began saying. "But even so!" She suddenly exclaimed startling Naruto. "You should've at least contacted us!"

The words stung and he felt the familiar wave of guilt wash over him. But he didn't look away from his blonde friend as she continued to speak.

"When you left and didn't contact any of us we feared for the worst. It felt like Uzumaki Naruto was no longer with us anymore; he was just a mere memory in our minds.

We felt so heartbroken when you left; we thought you left because we had done something, anything that made you go away. Some of us searched for you but after a few months we gave up. You weren't here. You really had left us, your friends, your home."

Every single word felt like a stab in the chest, a burn at the palm of his hand, a scratch going from his feet up to his face. The wave of guilt had built up and washed over him like a tsunami. Hearing such words made him feel even worse but he knew that he needed to hear it. He stood his ground and tried not to let anything show, but failed miserably.

The blonde woman was about to say something but she stopped when the dark blue-haired stepped forward. Naruto looked into gentle pale lavender eyes, the kind of look a mother would give her child when they'd done something bad and felt terrible about doing it.

She reached forward and grabbed each of his hands without breaking eye contact. Naruto noted that her hands felt pretty cold against his warm skin, but it was a soothing feeling that made him almost smile.

"I can see you're suffering Naruto-kun." She said in a calm, gentle tone. A tone he was not used to, especially without the usually stuttering accompanying the words.

"You feel angry because of what you did, don't you?" There was no use lying to her so he just nodded. "You also feel sad too." It was a statement not a question but he still nodded. "And lonely." He smiled sadly, now avoiding her gaze.

She reached over and placed a hand on his cheek, turning his head so he looked back at her.

"I will not say that what you did was a good choice, but still… it was your choice nonetheless. I am the same as Ino; I am angry and sad that you didn't trust us enough to contact us. But if I see beyond it all I can understand why you didn't. You were afraid, weren't you?" The blonde nodded. "Could you tell me what you were afraid of?"

Naruto took a deep breath before he answered, "I was afraid of what you might've said. What you might've thought, been thinking of what I did. I was afraid of… that the pain I caused you guys was too deep. That I…" He swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat. "That I would lose you guys." He whispered.

There was a moments of silence before anyone else spoke.

"But you didn't lose us." Naruto looked up and into another pair of pale lavender eyes. "Even after all these years, we're still here."

"He's right." Naruto turned to look at Kiba. "Even after you left we never doubted that you wouldn't come back. But to be honest it became a bit difficult as years passed." He said rubbing the back of his head a little nervously. "But I knew that you would return someday."

Naruto felt his heart ease up. The wave of guilt was decreasing as he gave his two friends a smile. "Thank you."

"Hey, it's no problem." He said and swung an arm over the blonde's shoulders. "Just promise us that next time you decide to go anywhere, tell us."

Naruto didn't need to think about it as he said. "I will."

After that the group went to a restaurant. They took a table, ordered their food and when food arrived they started to talk.

Naruto was really enjoying himself. He had really missed his friends' a lot he noticed.

Suddenly one of the men, Sai, turned to him and said, "Even after all these years you still don't have much of a penis."

Naruto almost choked on his water as he took a sip. He turned to Sai who was looking at him with the same carefree expression he always wore.

_Same old Sai. _He thought. _But this time, things are different._ He grinned inwardly.

"First of all, you haven't seen it in a long time. Things can change in ten years." He stated bluntly as conversations by the table ceased for a minute before everyone burst out laughing.

Naruto hid a smile, feeling somewhat victories but it seemed like he wasn't done yet.

"You also have grown up to be more feminine than masculine. Are you sure you're not a woman?"

Again, everyone went quiet as they watched the blonde, waiting for his answer.

"Can't be, considering I have been in a relationship with a woman and have a daughter." He said with a smile.

The table went silent for a moment before a ton of questions turned to the blonde.

"You have a daughter?!"

"Are you serious?"

"Really? Wow… who would've thought?"

"What's her name?"

"How old is she?"

"Guys!"

The table fell in silence again as Naruto looked at each and every one of them before he answered any of their questions.

"Yes, I have a daughter, her name is Ai and she is eight years old. Happy?"

They seemed pretty satisfied of the answers as conversations recommenced. Naruto let out a sigh but had no time to rest as a hand patted him on the shoulder to get his attention. He turned to see Kiba grinning at him.

He wondered why till he remembered what Sakura had told him a few weeks ago.

"Oh yeah, you also have kids. Two if I remember correctly." The brunette nodded.

"Hyuga-Inuzuka Takeru and Hyuga-Inuzuka Emi."

Naruto smiled as they began to talk about their kids, the dark blue-haired woman, Hinata, shortly joining them.

* * *

Hours later Naruto left the group and began to make his way home.

As he walked on the streets of Konoha he let his mind drift off. The streets were fairly silent as he pasted lamp light after lamp light, block after block till his feet carried him to a park.

He walked over to a bench and sat down. He clasped his hands together, a smile plastered on his face and his gaze looking ahead but not really focusing on anything.

He felt tired but also happy. Being social really was exhausting but he didn't care if it made him feel this content.

He really had missed it.

Ino's yelling, Kiba's and Hinata's comfort, Sai's rude but fun comments and of course all of their warm company.

He let out a content sigh and closed his eyes.

"Naruto?"

The blonde opened his eyes and turned his gaze to whoever had called his name. His cerulean-blue eyes met onyx ones. He immediately broke out into a big smile.

"Evening Sasuke." He greeted.

"Evening." The raven greeted back. "What are you doing here?"

The blonde turned away to look back ahead. "Nothing really, just thinking."

There was a silence. Naruto thought that the raven had gone when there was movement followed by a voice. "May I sit?"

The blonde nodded and moved away as the raven sat down.

They both now sat there and stared out but neither really focusing on anything.

Finally Naruto said, "I met up with some old friends today."

He could feel the raven straightening up. "How was it?"

"At first I felt really bad, because of the decisions I made." He paused and looked down at his clasped hands. "But after a while I started to feel better. They told me that even after I had left they still believed in me, believed that I would return home. I am forever grateful that they didn't stop believing, even when I stopped believing in myself."

A silence filled the air but it didn't last for very long.

"It's such a strange thing, friendship." The blonde looked up at the raven for a moment before he turned back to look in front.

"Not as strange as love."

The raven looked over at the blonde. "How so?"

Naruto took his time before he gave an answer. "It's a bit hard to explain. Friendship is a relationship one can have with plenty at one time, while love can only be shared with two people.

Both are based on a lot of trust but with love there come a lot of other things and emotions such as sacrifice, jealousy and insecurity. I have never had a problem with none of them though.

I have never in my life felt jealous of someone else other than Sakura-chan because she's so damn smart." Both he and the raven smiled at this. "I have felt insecure but not in a relationship with someone, there was no need for it. We both loved and trusted each other so much that there was no room for any other emotions.

Love is the most complicated but also the most wonderful emotion I have ever experienced. And I would give anything just to experience it again."

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke and his breath was caught in his throat. The raven was looking ahead, his creamy skin glowing in the moonlight and onyx eyes shining. His pale pink lips were pulled up into a small smile and his stature relaxed. The blonde felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest as a strange yet wonderful feeling washed over him that he knew all too well.

The first time he saw Sasuke he felt attracted to him immediately, when he got to know him he knew that he liked him, but now, as they sat in silence under the moonlight he knew that he was falling in love.

* * *

****I hope you liked the fourth chapter. Please review.****


	5. Chapter 5

**You might've noticed that I changed this story from T to M-rated. That's because in later chapters it will become a bit more sexual. I didn't think it would till I wrote this, you'll probably see why.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Advice and Action**

Naruto closed the front door and locked it before he walked through the hallway and into the living room. He sat down on the couch and put his face in his hands.

He wondered when it had gotten this far. He thought that the attraction he had felt towards the man was something that would pass just like it had in the past. He had seen a lot of handsome men but none has made him feel as nervous and happy as Sasuke made him feel.

An image of Sasuke popped into his mind. Cream skin glowing in the moonlight, dark hair blowing in the soft wind, onyx eyes shining with something akin to happiness, his lips pulled up into a small smile looking so soft, so kissable.

He imagined what it would be like to kiss the raven, to trail his tongue over his lips, to slip said tongue into his mouth, tasting him. Also what it would feel like to hold him close, touch him, remove those clothes and…

He forced his mind stop right there.

Naruto removed his hands from his face for a moment only to grab a pillow next to him and bury his face in it. What the hell was he doing fantasying about kissing and touching his friend? He groaned loudly into the pillow trying to fight away other images that popped up into his head.

One of the images were of Sasuke laughing, another of his sleeping face and – Naruto gulped – of him lying naked on his bed.

The blonde removed the pillow and swiftly stood up as he headed upstairs. He really needed to stop thinking such thoughts as he went to his room, undressed and went to bed.

_Naruto was in a clearing, surrounded by trees, sitting cross-legged on the grass. The sun was shining brightly on a blue sky, with a few rays of golden light shinning through the trees branches and upon his face._

_He knew this place, and yet he did not. He felt like he's been here before and yet it felt like that this was the first time he's ever been here. He turned to look to his side where Aya was sitting, her long, dark brown blowing in the gentle breeze. She turned to him and smiled, her onyx eyes shinning. Naruto couldn't help but smile back._

_The dark-haired woman then leaned in close to the blonde till her lips were pressing against his. The kiss was soft, gentle and all too heavenly. The blonde closed his eyes as he moved his lips a little, kissing her back. He then slipped an arm around the dark-haired woman's slim shoulders, placing his hand behind her head to pull her in closer. She didn't object to the gesture and responded in a similar way, slipping both of her arms around the blonde's neck as the kiss deepened._

_After a minute or so of kissing Naruto lowered her body to the ground so she was lying flat on her back with him climbing on top of her. The kissed gradually became deeper, tongues were joining together and a few soft moans were being drawn out from their lips._

_Naruto started to feel a bit bold as his hands began to travel down to the other's chest. When his hands reached their destination though something was a bit off. He couldn't remember it as clear as daylight, but didn't Aya have breasts?_

_He broke the kiss to look at who he had been kissing. Familiar onyx eyes were looking up at him but it was not Aya's eyes. He then noticed that he was staring into the eyes of one Uchiha Sasuke._

_He felt his heart rate pick up as he was suddenly filled with anxiety. He was just about to say something when the raven suddenly sat up and crashed his lips against his own. The kiss wasn't soft like the one he had shared with Aya; it was a bit rough and needy but still kind of sweet. Naruto felt himself wanting more but before he could think of touching the man their positions had been reversed. He was now the one lying flat on his back with someone on top of him, kissing him madly._

_Sasuke had slid his tongue in; they were battling each other for what seemed like forever till Naruto gave in. The raven every so often withdrew his tongue to suck and nibble on his bottom lip before again capturing his mouth in a heated kiss._

_He could feel hands stroking his chest up and down. He moaned into the kiss and brought his own hands up to the other's face, cupping it for a second before going back, fingers threading into his dark locks._

_They suddenly pulled away to breath; blue eyes were looking straight into black. They just stared at each other for seconds, minutes; maybe even hours for all they knew._

_The blonde felt calm, extremely happy and now that he thought about it, he was also hard._

Naruto woke up.

He blinked a few times to clear his vision before he sat up slowly to then stretch. He then felt a warm sensation between his legs and groaned out loud.

_Getting hard from a dream like that. What am I? A fucking teenager?_ He thought, slightly annoyed at himself.

He ran his fingers through his golden-blonde hair a few times before he glanced over to check the time, the digital watch read that it was nine-thirty in the morning. He frowned at the time, not in annoyance but in confusion.

_That's strange… why didn't Ai wake me up early like usual?_ He thought. He didn't think about it for too long though as his groin had other plans.

"Alright, I got it. Shower and take care of the problem, naming you." He said with an irritated tone and then suddenly felt stupid talking to his morning erection. He blamed the dream.

An hour or so later Naruto walked into the kitchen, feeling freshened up in more than one way he walked into the empty room. It was only then that he noticed how quiet the place was.

He suddenly felt a surge of panic surge through him but it quickly vanished when he remembered about Gaara taking the car to visit his siblings and taking Ai with him. Ai was with Gaara. She was safe.

He let out a sigh of relief and slumped down in a chair by the table. He ran a hand through his still damp hair as he thought about what to do today. It was Saturday so he didn't have work, he could call Sasuke and check if he's free but after the feeling and the dream he had had that did not sound like such a good idea.

He thought about calling Sakura, now that seemed like a good idea. Sakura knew him the best besides his parents' and Gaara.

With a decision set in mind he got up and began to cook breakfast for himself before he decided to call his friend.

* * *

"Hello Naruto, how are you today?" Sakura asked the minute Naruto let her in. She removed her coat, hanging it up and removing her shoes before they both walked into the living room.

"I'm very well." The blonde said they sat down on the couch.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" The pinkette said, getting straight to the point.

"Um- Well- I-" The blonde stuttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes?" The pinkette said patiently.

"IthinkI'minlovewithSasuke." He blurted out before turning crimson and then scolding himself over it.

Only a few seconds passed before understanding dawned over her face. "Oh!" She exclaimed before a smile broke out on her face.

"What should I do?" He asked softly.

Silence filled the room before an answer followed.

"I think you should tell him."

The blonde was quiet for a minute then said, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…" he trailed off. Because of what? Even he did not know that. Because he felt that he didn't deserve it? Because it would be like to betray Aya? Because he was afraid that this affection and care he felt wasn't really love?

Many more suggestions filled his head but he had no time to look into them as Sakura began to speak again.

"Naruto," she began as she placed her hand over his. "You will not lose him, and you do deserve some happiness. Don't deny it." She said quickly when the blonde was about to open his mouth to say something. "I know your guilty look too well. You feel a bit confused, right? Afraid, right?"

Naruto gave her a surprised look before nodding.

"Don't be. Just go for it and hope for the best. Tell him."

The blonde wanted to tell her that he couldn't. That deep inside of him he isn't this reckless and daring boy as he appears to be. But something in his friend's green eyes told him otherwise.

Moments passed before he came to a decision. He sighed and nodded. "I'll tell him as soon as I possibly can."

"That's what I'd like to hear!" She exclaimed and smiled brightly. She leaned in to hug him briefly before she stood up. "Well, now that you know what to do, I'll be going. If that's alright with you?"

The blonde nodded and soon he was left alone.

He sat there for a few minutes before he decided to do something. He got up and went to grab his phone before he dialed a number.

_"Hello?"_

The blonde took a deep breath. _It is now or never._ "Hey, Sasuke. Are you busy?"

There was a small pause before an answer followed. _"Not really."_

The blonde swallowed, his nervousness increasing greatly. "I was wondering… if you'd like to have lunch with me."

There was another pause. _"Sure, when and where?"_

He gave the time and place before hanging up. He placed the phone down on his desk as he thought of what to say.

* * *

Hours later he was standing in front of the restaurant dressed in casual attire. He was anxious and a bit frighten of what was going to take place.

He took a deep breathe, opened the door and walked in.

The restaurant he chose was simple, nothing fancy and that suited both him and the raven just fine. He looked around the place till he spotted said raven, writing by the corner. He took a deep breath before walking towards him.

"Hello, do you mind if I sit down?" He asked once he had reached the table.

Sasuke stopped typing and looked up, a smirk making its way to his lips. "I don't know. Should I let you sit down?"

"I think you should."

"And why's that?"

"Because I have something to say."

The raven looked considerate for a moment before he nodded. "Alright. Sit down."

The blonde did just that.

"So what did you want to say?" The raven asked, typing away on his computer.

The blonde took yet another deep breath, calming his nerves before he began. "Sasuke, do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"We talked about friendship and love." He replied. "What of it?"

"Love comes in many different forms." The blonde stated.

That caught Sasuke's attention as he stopped typing for a moment, though he didn't look up.

"Love is a word that can evoke many different images. These images are: Family, friendship and romance.

I have a wonderful family who understands me but can also be a bit of a pain. I also created a family, though one of them died…

Friendship has never been an issue for me. My friends' says that I'm very bright, open and honest. That I have an air around me which makes you want to talk to me, know me, befriend me.

And as for romance… there has been many times when I've only felt a simple thing through many women and men. Attraction. I've felt attract to many, but only a few people has made me feel more.

The first one was Ai's mom, Aya. The second one whom I never had counted on was… you."

Naruto saw Sasuke stiffen, his onyx eyes fixed on the screen. He couldn't look anymore so he turned his attention to his folded hands on the table.

"I know we've only been friends for a short time. And I don't know if the emotion I am feeling right now is truly love, but I am pretty sure that it is." He took a pause, feeling tears beginning to build in his eyes as he waited for an answer.

There was none.

The blonde began to panic now. "I- I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, for saying these things… I'll just go." He started to get up, but before he could completely rise up a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

The blonde, startled, looked over to the raven that was looking straight at him. The smirk was gone, his face was serious.

"Naruto…"

Said blonde knew what would be coming next and he braced himself for it, keeping the tears at bay.

"I…"

* * *

**Yes, I just made a cliffhanger. Sorry about that, but I felt that it was needed.**

****Anyway I hope you liked the fifth chapter. Please review.****


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Confessions**

It was Saturday at eleven in the morning. Sasuke was sitting in the kitchen, by the table typing away on his computer. A cup of tea was sitting on the table as well as his phone.

He every once in a while stopped typing as he tore his eyes from the screen to either stretch or take a sip out of his tea.

All of a sudden his phone began playing She Is The Sunlight by Trading Yesterday. He stopped typing and reached for the small machine. He opened and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" He knew he must be smiling, though he didn't care.

"_Hey, Sasuke. Are you busy?"_

Said raven glanced over at the clock before he answered. "Not really."

"_I was wondering… if you'd like to have lunch with me."_

The raven felt like something was a bit off with the blonde but instead of asking of his well-being he just asked. "Sure, when and where?"

After the blonde had given him the place and time he hung up. He put the phone down on the table and crossed his legs, frowning a little.

To him the blonde had sounded a bit nervous, as if afraid of something. The way his voice had trailed off for a second bothered him.

_What could be wrong? _He thought but couldn't find an answer to his question.

He glanced over at his computer and reached over to save before closing the lid. He sat there thinking about his blonde friend for a long time.

The raven has never thought about one person this much before. It hadn't taken him long for him to admit that he liked the blonde, more than a friend. He hadn't said anything though for two reasons. One, the blonde had been almost married to a woman so he was obviously straight. And two, he wasn't sure if Ai would accept him as part of the family even if he wasn't.

He sighed and glanced over to check the time before he got up and got ready to leave.

Hours later Sasuke was sitting at a table in the restaurant the blonde had told him where they would meet up. He had come early and had sat down typing on his computer. A waiter would come and ask if he needed anything every once in a while or just look at him.

He started to become a bit irritated after he had sent the sixth or seventh waitress away, but his sour mode quickly brightened when a shadow fell over the table, followed by a voice he knew all too well.

"Hello, do you mind if I sit down?"

Sasuke stopped typing and looked up, a smirk making its way to his lips. "I don't know. Should I let you sit down?"

"I think you should."

"And why's that?"

"Because I have something to say."

Sasuke looked at the blonde for a moment. _Nothing seems to be wrong. _He thought before nodding. "Alright. Sit down."

The blonde did just that.

Sasuke thought of wasting no time and just jump into it. "So what did you want to say?" He asked, and began typing away on his computer.

There was a short pause before he said, "Sasuke, do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"

"We talked about friendship and love." He replied. "What of it?"

"Love comes in many different forms." The blonde stated.

That caught Sasuke's attention as he stopped typing for a moment, though he didn't look up as he listened intently on the blonde's next words.

He talked about how friendship was no problem and he had a wonderful family, though the last part caught him off guard.

"And as for romance… there has been many times when I've only felt a simple thing through many women and men. Attraction. I've felt attract to many, but only a few people has made me feel more.

The first one was Ai's mom, Aya. The second one whom I never had counted on was… you."

Sasuke stiffen. What could he really do? He opened his mouth to say something but no words would come out and then he started speaking again.

"I know we've only been friends for a short time. And I don't know if the emotion I am feeling right now is truly love, but I am pretty sure that it is."

A ton of emotions swirled inside of him. He didn't know what to say or do. The confession had caught him completely off guard. Seconds and minutes ticked by and he realized that too much time had passed because the blonde's voice came again. Sounding on the verge of tears, panicked. He felt him get up and quickly looked up and grabbed his wrist.

The blonde looked startled. He could see tears swimming in his cerulean-blue orbs, which made his heart break a little.

"Naruto…"

He said his name softly, trying to calm down the blonde but it didn't seem to work. He stood there looking like an animal caught in the headlights.

"I…" _I what? What should I say? Don't go? Stay? I love you?_

The latter he wouldn't be able to say even if he wanted to, not yet anyway. He continued to look at the blonde, he wasn't moving, just standing there, looking back at him. Then before his mind could register what happened next he finally let go off his wrist and rounded the table. The blonde looked even more startled but he didn't let him get away as he leaned in and crashed his lips onto his.

It took only half a second before the blonde was kissing him back. The kiss was beyond nice; it was soft, slow and gentle. No tongues were involved and no teeth.

Sasuke pulled away a minute later to look at Naruto. His blue eyes were glazed over, his face flushed and breathing a little irregular.

It took a while before the blonde got his breathing under control and his color back. When he had he looked straight at the raven, trying to suppress a grin and failing.

"So, is that your way of saying you feel the same?"

"Yes." Sasuke answered truthfully. "It is."

* * *

After that day the two men started dating.

They kept their relationship quiet for the most part, especially around Ai. Naruto knew though that it would only be a matter of time for her to start noticing. And when the time would come he would tell her.

Several days later it was on a Saturday it happened. Naruto and Ai were in the kitchen baking cookies when the question came up.

"Daddy?" The blonde looked down at his daughter.

"Yes, love?"

Ai opened her mouth as if to say something but closed it again and began thinking. Her father stood over her, waiting patiently.

"Do you remember what you told me when I was seven? About a man being together with another man or a woman being together with another woman?"

The blonde felt his insides tighten as his nervousness started building up but he pushed it down and only smiled and nodded.

"Are you and Sasuke-san like that?"

The question was innocent, curious even. And with his daughter tilting her head a little to the side it just made his heart melt. But before he came clean he thought of seeing how observant his daughter really is.

"What makes you think Sasuke and I are like that?" He asked with a grin.

There was a pause before the eight year old gave an answer.

"You just seem happy when you're with him."

"I'm happy when I'm with any of my friends'."

Ai shook her head. "It's different."

"Oh, how so?"

"I don't really know how to explain it. But when you see him or he's mentioned your eyes are shining. Like they do when you talk about mummy." She explained.

Naruto was speechless for a moment before a smile broke out. His daughter truly was something else. She was smart, kind and understanding, just like Aya, but she also was like that in her own way.

"Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

The blonde smiled and put a hand on her head, stroking her hair. "I'm thinking that I must be the luckiest dad ever, to have such a smart and wonderful daughter like you."

Ai was silent for a moment till a smile broke out and she hugged her dad. "Thank you daddy."

"You're welcome." They pulled away. "Now, let's finish these cookies before Gaara gets home."

"Okay!"

* * *

**I hope you liked the sixth chapter. Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven: Meeting The Uchiha Clan**

"My birthday is soon." Sasuke said suddenly.

It had been over a month since Naruto and he started dating. The last couple of days they have told more and more people of their relationship. Mostly because a few of their friends friends have been trying to hit on them, which neither really appreciated so they flat out said they were going out. Some of their friends' had been shocked while other had pretty much expected it to happen.

It was Wednesday today, in the middle of July. Both men were lying on the couch, in Sasuke's home. Said raven was watching TV where a cooking program was showing with the blonde lying with his head in his lap. The blonde had his eyes closed though he was not sleeping only "resting his eyes" as he put it.

The sudden announcement though had him flung his eyes open and looking up at the raven.

"Really? When?"

"July 23."

"But that's only four days away."

"So?"

"So, I have absolutely no idea what to get you, you prick." The blonde poked the other in the ribs making them grimace and look down to meet his glare.

There was a small silence between them before the other said, "Let me guess, I should've mentioned this earlier?"

"Yes. You should've." The blonde said, his glare faltering a little. "But it's fine." He then grinned making the other smile. The raven then put a hand on his cheek, caressing it. The blonde leaned into his warm, gentle touch and smiled warmly when he began running his fingers through his hair.

He shortly brought his own hand up to caress the other's cheek. Neither knew who the one to start it was but all of a sudden they were kissing. Their kisses were slow and gentle. Neither in a hurry as they continued to caress each other's faces and running fingers through locks of dark and fair hair.

At one point during their make-out session Naruto had sat up and was straddling Sasuke's lap. Their kisses were growing deeper and touches more frequent, not to mention bolder.

The blonde moaned when he felt a hand brush against his crotch. He fisted a handful of dark hair and tugged a bit earning a slightly painful hiss from the other before returning lips on lips.

Both were so occupied with their activities they hadn't heard the door unlock and open. There was some rustling in the hallway before a person walked into the living room only to stop dead in their tracks. The second person came in only a short moment later and also stopped in their tracks but they had the decency to announce they were there with a cough.

Both men froze mid-kissing. Startled onyx eyes looked into equally startled cerulean-blue ones. Finally after a few seconds those blue eyes looked away to look up into the faces of Sasuke's parents. He knew they were his parents from photos he had seen of them standing on the raven's desk or on the kitchen counter.

In the pictures Sasuke's mother looked fairly young, with a fair complexion, long, black hair and black eyes. In person she still looked young but he could see a few signs of her real age showing in that pretty face of hers.

Sasuke's father though was another story; he looked the same as he had always looked really. The expression on his face could only be described as stern; he had dark brown-greyish shoulder-length hair and onyx-coloured eyes.

He gulped a little when those eyes focused on him.

The raven must've felt some of the other's fear because he asked, "Is it my parents?"

The blonde nodded numbly.

The raven sighed loudly and rubbed his face with his hands. _This was not the way I expected them to meet. _He thought and groaned inwardly.

The silence that followed stretched out till the eldest Uchiha had had enough. "Would you so kindly get off my son's lap?" He hadn't meant for it to come out like a question but it did.

Naruto blushed crimson and promptly got off his lover, putting some distance between the two on the couch.

The two parents strolled further into the room and shortly sat down on two armchairs, opposite of where the couple was sitting. Naruto glanced over at Sasuke who still had his face in his hands. He knew that it must be an action of feeling embarrassed. A clearing of the throat brought him back from daydream land and he turned to face his lover's parents.

"So, you must be this mysteriously lover my son spoke about." It was a statement, not a question but Naruto felt that he needed to say something.

"Yes, I'm Uzumaki Naruto." He introduced himself with a small, hesitant smile.

"Uzumaki?" The other said. "Then, would you happen to be Kushina's son?"

A surprised expression flitted across the blonde's face before he nodded. "Yes. I am."

A warm, gentle smile came across the woman's face as she said, "Thought so. I'm Mikoto. It's very nice to meet you Naruto." She held out her hand and he grabbed it without hesitation.

Some of the awkwardness left as they gradually started talking. Sasuke and Fugaku were still keeping quiet, watching Naruto and Mikoto interact with mild interest.

The conversations suddenly ceased when the blonde's phone began to buzz. He grabbed it and stood up saying he'll be right back before leaving the room.

"Hello?" He asked once he was in the kitchen.

"_Daddy…"_ he heard his daughter say. Her voice didn't sound right and he immediately became concerned.

"Hello, love. Is something wrong?"

He heard a sniff on the other side which made his concern only increase. "Love, what's wrong?"

"_I… I… Haru had a-an accident."_

The blonde was confused for a moment not having recognized the name at first till he remembered. Akarui Haru was a classmate and friend of Ai's.

"What happened?" He asked gently.

It took a while before he got an answer. Apparently while during their little field trip Haru had gotten hurt by saving Ai. She had climbed up a tree to get her other friend, Yuki's hat that had blown off her head and up the branches. When Ai had grabbed her friend's hat a branch broke and she fell. Haru had seen it and dove in to the rescue but the fall he took had left him unconscious.

Naruto could hear that Ai was really upset by the sniffs and trembling of her voice. He assured her he would be fine before he ended the call. He sighed, feeling exhausted before he turned and walked back into the living room.

When he stepped in, he noticed the heavy air had been lifted somewhat, Sasuke seemed to have clarified a few things about them with his parents. He walked over and sat down beside the raven that looked up.

"Who was it?"

"Ai. An accident occurred."

"What? What happened? Is she alright?" The raven asked, concern showing strongly on his face.

The blonde turned and grabbed the other's hand, having forgotten they were being watched. He knew how much Sasuke adored his daughter, it made him smile a little.

"She's fine." He said and saw the raven relax. "Although her friend got hurt, so she's very upset."

The two looked into each other's eyes till a question made them look in front.

"Who is Ai?" Mikoto asked curiously.

"She's my daughter." Naruto answered immediately.

"Your daughter?" It was Fugaku who had spoken up this time.

"Yes. She's eight soon to be nine."

There was a small pause before Mikoto said, "I would love to meet her someday."

The blonde smiled but said nothing.

"What of the mother?" The elderly Uchiha asked suddenly. Naruto didn't know what it was but he didn't like the tone of his voice. He narrowed his eyes a little, meeting the other's gaze as he spoke in a strong and calm tone.

"I believe that it's none of your business whenever I see Ai's mother on a daily basis or not. But if you must know, Ai's mother isn't with us anymore." A pale hand flew up to Mikoto's mouth, a shocked expression taking over her previous feelings.

Fugaku looked shocked for a second, then sad, and then his face turned back into the same expressionless yet serious mask.

"Also," he continued. "If you think for a minute that I still hold stronger feelings for her than I do for your son, then you're dead wrong and obviously can't read the air around us." He said and gestured between him and the raven. The three Uchiha's only looked at him oddly for a moment.

Naruto didn't know if that was the right thing to say but he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders by saying it. Because in a sense it was true. He did have stronger feelings for Sasuke than what he had had with Aya. Though it could be because Aya was long gone and Sasuke was right here, next to him, within his reach.

_No,_ he told himself. _There's more to him than just that._

There was a shocked silence that seemed to stretch out for minutes before Fugaku said, "I apologize."

The blonde looked at the man. He seemed sincere with his apology so he just nodded.

Conversations were pretty strained since that and the Uchiha's soon left apart from one. Said Uchiha walked over to the blonde and wrapped his arms around him. The blonde was startled for a second before he hugged him back.

"What's up?"

He heard Sasuke sigh before an answer followed, "I'm tired."

"Would you like to go to bed?"

"Aren't you supposed to go back home?"

Naruto pondered over that thought for a moment before he said, "Will you come with me?"

The raven pulled away. "Sure, if Gaara and Ai won't mind."

"They won't."

* * *

On July 21 Naruto found himself searching for a birthday present for Sasuke together with Sakura, Ino and Ai.

"I just don't know what to get him." The blonde was saying over a cup of coffee. They've been searching for something for the raven for two hours now. The others already had their presents. Sakura had a fantasy book with romance and tragedy in the mixture, Ino a bouquet of red and yellow roses, and Ai a card she made herself. It was only him left and he still had no ideas.

"Well," the pinkette began catching the blonde's attention. "You could pretty much get him anything. He likes all sorts of things; there must be something you've thought about."

The blonde just shook his head. "No. Nothing. I really don't know what to get."

The four sat there sipping their coffee and nibbling on their deserts lost in their own thoughts. They eventually got up to leave as they walked around the streets, passing store after store till the blonde caught sight of something. He walked up to the big window to where a display of jewelries was showing.

There were bracelets, earrings, and necklaces, but what had caught his attention was the collection of rings. One pair in particular had caught his eye. They looked to be simple silver bands, but they seemed much more than just that.

The blonde made his decision then as he turned towards the girls, telling them to go on ahead before he walked into the store.

* * *

It was now July 23. Naruto and Ai were on their way to Sasuke's apartment. Said raven had warned him that his parents would be there as well as his brother and a few of his friends. The blonde had just shrugged, put on a smile and said "don't worry, I can handle it".

When they arrived the blonde looked down at his daughter, with questioning eyes. "Ready?"

The eight year old only nodded, too nervous to do anything else as she held onto the card she had made.

The blonde smiled, squeezing her hand in reassurance before he rang the bell.

A few minutes passed before the door opened.

"Happy birthday." The blonde said warmly as soon as he saw who had opened.

The raven only smiled before he leaned over to give him a kiss. "Thank you for coming." He said and then crouched down to Ai's level. "Hello, pretty."

Ai said nothing, instead she let go of her father's hand and went straight into the raven's arms. He picked her up easily, balancing her weight on his hip.

"Come on in." He said and they walked in.

Naruto followed his lover into the living room where a group of people were both standing and sitting around the place. He noticed Sasuke's parents were sitting on the couch talking to one another. A group of three were standing to one side of the room, drinks in hand, chatting and laughing away. Neither Sakura nor Ino were here yet he noticed.

He continued to follow the raven that went up to his parents, with Ai still in his arms. He really was starting to wonder how things were going to go. He didn't think much about it though as he put on a smile and greeted them.

* * *

About an hour later Sakura and Ino had arrived and given Sasuke their gifts straight away. The raven had accepted them with a smile and sincere "thank you" before he went to place them on the kitchen counter.

Naruto had in the last hour mingled a bit with the others, while keeping a keen eye on his daughter of course. The group of three he had seen when he first came in was Sasuke's friends who all had gone to the same college. The two men Suigetsu and Jugo seemed like nice people, though the woman, Karin seemed a bit too much.

She was a lot of talk, much like Sakura and Ino when discussing fashion in his earlier days. She also smelled, not bad mind you, just a bit too much. A bit too much perfume. He remembered Aya only ever using a drop or two while Karin smelled as if she'd used half the bottle. It was a bit uncomfortable to say the least, but he put up with it.

During one of his conversations with them he heard the door opening (since the day he and Sasuke were caught by his parents he had been keeping his eyes and ears open more than usual).

He whipped his head to the sound, watching and waiting for a figure to come in from the hallway. Shortly someone did. Someone he knew from the pictures he'd seen from Sasuke's bedside table.

The man that came in had a fair complexion, long black hair that was tied in a low ponytail and onyx eyes. The blonde could see him and Sasuke carrying some similarities. That's how he knew this guy was none other than Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother.

The raven came out of the kitchen a minute after Itachi came. The younger brother stopped for a second before his eyes lit up and he made his way over to hug his brother.

"Ah~ brotherly love truly is sweet." He heard a voice say. He didn't need to turn around to know that it had been Karin who had spoken.

He continued watching the brothers, as they pulled away and started talking to each other. The smile Sasuke was showing was one he didn't show often. It was warm and filled with happiness, his posture was relaxed with no hint of being tense. It made Naruto a little jealous, but he didn't let the jealousy get to him as he strolled over to the brothers.

The raven noticed him before he even got there. Turning his smiling face into a slight frown, even though the blonde could clearly see in his eyes that he was still smiling.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"I've been busy with your friends. Had to get away from the smell before I suffocate." This brought a smile on the raven's face.

The blonde then turned to the other Uchiha who had been watching his brother and the blonde.

"Good evening." He greeted with a smile.

Itachi flashed him a smile as well and greeted him back with a "good evening" of his own.

They introduced themselves and talked for a while till the raven turned and left. The blonde also left to follow him, telling Itachi he'd talk to him later.

He followed him to the kitchen where a small mountain of presents was waiting for him on the kitchen counter. He didn't go that way though as he went straight to the sink to get a glass of water.

"So," he began and turned around to look at the blonde, glass in hand. "Where's your present?"

The blonde glanced over at the pile before looking to meet the other's gaze. "I was waiting for the right moment to give you it." He said with a slight grin.

The raven raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" He asked and then before his lover could answer he said, "Wait, it's not an engagement ring, is it?"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at the expression of alarm on his lover's face. He laughed so hard he had to grab the counter to steady himself. When he had calmed down, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, he looked up. Sasuke was scowling at him; his dark eyes were shining with pure annoyance.

"No. It's not." He finally said.

He chuckled a little when he saw the scowl vanish as the other sighed in relief. He walked forward and reached over to pull out the small black box he had kept in his pocket for a long time. He presented it to the raven that looked at it, and then up at him.

"If it's an engagement ring, I'll skin you alive." He warned.

He let out a small laugh. "Am I really that bad?" He asked. The raven said nothing, still looking at the box with suspicious. "It's not an engagement ring. I promise."

With that encouragement Sasuke took the box from him and opened it. He froze for a moment when he looked at the insides before looking up at the blonde.

"What? As promised, it's not an engagement ring."

A moment passed before the raven started to smile and hugged his lover. The blonde hugged him back, a warm smile taking up his features.

They pulled away a second later and he put his left hand up. There on his fourth finger was a silver band.

"Now we'll match." He said with a wide grin.

The raven just shook his head but couldn't help but smile. He then picked the ring out of the box and put it on his own left fourth finger. He then grabbed the other's left hand and kissed the blonde first on the cheek, then on the forehead, and then on the lips. The action was sweet and filled with such emotions which made Naruto's heart nearly melt.

"Thank you." Sasuke whispered into his ear when they pulled away.

A strange chill was sent down the other's spine as he reached out to touch him, before he could though, they were interrupted.

Suigetsu came in, shortly followed by Karin who was talking loudly. The two men glanced over at each other with a grimace before exiting the kitchen.

They walked over, hand in hand, towards the couch where Sasuke's parents and brother were sitting as well as Ai. Mikoto and Fugaku were sitting opposite of Itachi who had Ai in his lap.

Their attention turned to the couple who stopped by the armchairs. Ai looked up with a smile that could light up any dark room. She looked a bit lower down, and Naruto knew that she must be looking at the ring on his and Sasuke's fingers.

Itachi followed not a second too late and gave a big grin when he saw the silver bands on their fingers.

"So, when's the wedding?" He asked with a playful tone in his words.

"Itachi!" Sasuke yelled, blushing at his brother's words.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"They are couple rings, not engagement ones. Even Naruto isn't that stupid."

"Hey!"

"I know what they are; I was just pulling your leg a bit."

"Well don't."

"Fine then."

Naruto watched the exchange between the brothers with amusement. He caught Ai's eye that had a hand covering her mouth, trying to keep her giggles at bay.

He then looked over at Sasuke's parents who looked to be having as much fun as he and Ai were. Although Fugaku still looked as strict as ever, there was a quirk in his lips and his eyes were shining with affection. Mikoto had a warm smile plastered on her face, her face and posture completely relaxed.

He couldn't help but smile and when Mikoto noticed him, her smile grew bigger, looking at him in a certain way that could only be described as gratitude.

Things were looking up for him and Sasuke it seemed.

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**Hope you liked the seventh chapter. Please review. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Warning: There's a sex scene in this chapter.**

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**Epilogue**

A teenage girl with a fair complexion was walking around the beach. Her long dark brown almost black hair was blowing in the breeze along with the white sundress she was wearing.

It seemed like a great day for a walk on the beach. The sun was shining both warmly and brightly upon the blue sky; pale sand was soft under her feet, and with the sound of waves crashing onto shore and the smell of salt water the image was complete.

"Ai!"

The girl turned around when she heard her name being called. Running towards her was a boy her age. He had shoulder-length, messy dirty blonde hair and golden eyes. The boy enveloped her in a hug, which she returned a moment later.

He then pulled away and pecked her on the cheek real quick before looking into her eyes.

"Hello Haru." She said with a smile.

The two teenagers started walking, hand in hand, just looking at the beach. It was fairly empty, even with the heat and brightness of the sun not many people were here. Then again, it was pretty early.

"Why did you want to meet up?" Haru asked after a moment's of silence.

The girl shrugged. "I don't know really. Just thought you might want to get out of the house."

The blonde boy smiled a little. "You know me well." There was a pause. "How are your parents?"

A memory of eight years ago sprung forth in her mind. She smiled as she imagined the setting she had imagined many times over. Her father walking away, leaving her with Uncle Gaara. The feeling of anxiety that became too much as she left her uncle in search for her father which she could not find. Feeling disappointed she turned to walk back to where she though she last saw her uncle, who was not there.

The feeling of loss of both adults hit hard as she wandered the streets in search for them. Her eyes were stinging with tears that threatened to spill over any time soon. Not wanting to make a scene she walked over to a path in between two buildings. She looked around one last time for someone with either blonde or red hair but could not see anyone with either. She put her face in her hands and began to cry. She distinctly remembers thinking: _I want my daddy. I want my daddy. _Over and over again.

Minutes passed as her cries were beginning to subside when all of a sudden she heard a voice from above.

"Hello. Are you lost?"

She sniffed once before she looked up and into the darkest kind of eyes she's ever seen. She didn't know the man who was standing before her but he didn't have an air around him that told her she should run.

"Are you lost?" He repeated and smiled. His voice was soft and his eyes shining with kindness. Ai decided that she could trust this person.

She sniffed and nodded.

There was a moment's pause as she felt those dark eyes study her. She didn't feel uncomfortable under the stare which was odd since she always felt uncomfortable unless it was her father or uncle staring.

"Would you like me to help you find your parents?" The man asked softly.

Ai was silent for a moment. She already decided that she could trust him so she just sniffed and nodded once more. She then remembered that she had been crying because she began to wipe the tears from her cheeks and eyes. She remembered the man chuckle and then a moment later he gave her a handkerchief to wipe her face with.

When her face was rid of all the tears the man stretched out a hand for her to take; she remembered hesitating for a moment but eventually took the offered hand. She felt him give her hand a reassuring squeeze before they made their way through the crowd.

She smiled at the memory, looking over at the water.

"What are you thinking?" Haru asked.

She made a humming sound before she said, "I'm thinking that I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have such wonderful parents."

Haru said nothing and just smiled.

They walked for a bit more before they decided to leave. They went up to the parking lot where a black car was waiting for them. A person whom Ai recognized as her father stood by the vehicle and she took off into a run towards him. She enveloped him in a huge hug, which got returned not a second too late.

"Where's dad?" She asked once they pulled away.

"Still at home sleeping." The raven replied with a smile.

"Does that guy ever get up?" Haru asked, walking towards the two.

"He does if I wake him up in a certain way."

"Which is?"

"You wouldn't want to know." Ai replied with a smirk.

It didn't take long for the blonde to catch the meaning. When he did he only grimaced and shook his head at the two.

The trio shortly got into the car and left the beach for home.

* * *

"Where have you guys been?" Were the words they were greeted with when they first stepped into the hallway, with a half-naked blonde standing before them.

"They were by the beach; I was only picking them up." The raven replied and leaned in for a kiss.

The two teenagers didn't stick around as they walked towards the living room and turned on the TV. The two adults continued to kiss, not paying any attention to the sounds in the background.

The blonde lifted up the other and carried him into the kitchen and onto a counter. Standing in between his legs he kissed him with passion. He pulled away for a few seconds to trail down kisses along his jaw and neck before returning to the lips.

"We – we can't." The raven managed to get out. "Ai and Haru are still here."

The blonde stopped to look into the dark eyes of his lover. "She won't be here for long." He said and before the other could say otherwise he captured his lips in a chaste kiss.

* * *

The two teenagers were sitting on the couch unaware of what was going on in the kitchen till something was knocked over and they heard a crash. Ai looked at the direction of the kitchen and groaned when she heard the little noises coming from there, even with the TV on.

She looked over at Haru who was looking at her in mild confusion. He then seemed to have heard the same as she because his face changed.

"Are they…?"

She nodded.

His grimace returned full force. "Shall we go over to my place?"

Without any hesitation Ai said, "Let's go."

* * *

The blonde heard the front door open and close as he began to remove the other's shirt. He smiled into the kiss and then finally pulled the piece of fabric over the other's head and tossed it to the side.

He then lifted the other up again and carried him into their bedroom. He put him onto the ground before pushing him onto the bed and crawling over him. He trailed down a path of feather light kisses down his neck and chest.

The raven moaned and reached over as he brought the blonde's head up and captured his lips in another chaste kiss. He licked and sucked on his lover's bottom lip before he pushed in his tongue in his mouth.

The blonde didn't complain as he welcomed the sensation with open arms, or rather open mouth.

They continued kissing as the blonde's hands traveled down to the other's pants. He unbuttoned them with ease before pulling them down and tossing them down onto the floor.

The raven now only left with his boxers on reached over to do the same for his lover.

Once he was free the raven reached over to flip the other over and onto his back. It didn't take much effort as both were mostly lost in the lust-filled room.

The raven hovered over the other, placing kisses all over his face, down the jaw, towards the neck and collarbone, and lower down to the chest. He trailed down even further down, earning delicious moans from above him. He reached for the waistband and started to remove the boxers. He tossed the final piece of clothing down on the floor where their pants were lying in a pile. He then turned back and leaned over his lover's cock that was wet with pre-cum. He didn't hesitate as he reached over and began to stroke the sensitive flesh. The blonde gasped at the contact and then let out a series of moans and groans.

The raven looked up and smirked at his lover's reaction before he leaned over and began to kiss and lick his cock.

The blonde fisted the covers and shut his eyes at the sensation.

The raven smirked again and then took his lover's cock in his mouth. He listened to the sounds from above as he bobbed his head up and down.

Only minutes later the blonde felt climax creep up on him, it was only around the corner, and that's exactly when he felt Sasuke's mouth leaving him. He couldn't help the whimper that escaped his lips at the loss of contact. He opened his eyes that were shinning with disappointment, though it didn't last for very long when he felt a cold, coated finger enter him. He shut his eyes again as a new sensation hit him. This one filled with pleasure and a little bit of pain.

The raven pushed in another finger after a few minutes and began to scissor them inside his lover. Said lover was thrashing around on the bed, sweat running down his forehead, with his eyes scurried shut.

More minutes later the raven pulled out his fingers and removed his boxers before taking his position in between the blonde's legs. He coated his own cock with lubrication before looking up to meet the other's gaze, waiting for his cue. The blonde gave a small nod and he began to push inside him.

The blonde shut his eyes as he felt himself being stretched out. It was so intense he felt his breath being taken away, though only for a moment. He started trembling when he felt his lover had stopped moving. He opened his eyes slowly to see what was going on. He saw his lover hovering over his head, gazing into his eyes.

They stared into each others eyes for a while before they leaned in for a kiss. When the kiss ended the raven began to move.

The blonde reached over, throwing his hands around the other's neck as he met thrust by thrust. The thrusts intensified very soon and both gave loud moans.

For the second time the blonde felt climax very near him. He realized that he couldn't hold it in as he cried out his lover's name before spilling his seeds all over both their abdomens.

The raven came right after the blonde as he gave a loud, long moan as he came. He didn't pull out till the aftershocks of his orgasm ceased. When he did though he collapsed right next to the panting blonde.

They laid there for a long time till the blonde turned to lie on his side, a hand reaching over to caress the other's face. The raven copied the action, stroking the other's cheek and up to his hair.

"I love you." The blonde whispered.

The raven smiled, closing his eyes as he thought of the first time they met, became friends, the confession, and now they were suddenly here, years later.

"I love you too."

They pulled each other closer to themselves, pulling the covers over their naked, sticky bodies before sleep over came them.

The last thoughts that ran through their minds were.

_It can't get any better than this.  
_

The End

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**So that's Love Comes In Many Different Forms, I hope you enjoyed reading it, I had fun writing it. I was actually going to cut this chapter short but I thought that since I'm writing a continuing I might as well continue. I hope you'll read the next thing I have in stock ;)**

**Please review to tell me how the story was. If there was something specific that you liked or something specific you disliked, anything.**

**So, that's pretty much it. I'll see you soon.**


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